Author Archives: Alejandra Viviescas, PhD

A potential gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease associated with mutations in the GBA1 gene, PR001, will move into clinical testing in patients after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted an application for the therapy, Prevail Therapeutics announced. FDA acceptance of the company’s Investigational New…

Vitamin B12 can prevent the formation of and destroy alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain, lowering their toxicity and potentially helping to alleviate Parkinson’s disease, according to a study. The study, “Vitamin B12 inhibits α-synuclein fibrillogenesis and protects against amyloid-induced cytotoxicity,” was published in the journal…

Gocovri (amantadine) can effectively reduce the number and duration of “off” periods and dyskinesia (uncontrolled movement) episodes in Parkinson’s patients under long-term levodopa treatment, leading to a good steady “on” state, pooled Phase 3 clinical data show. These findings were reported in a study, “…

Trace amines, the product of the metabolism of specific amino acids, could indicate changes that occur early during Parkinson’s disease and may serve as early-stage and disease progression biomarkers, a study suggests. The study, “Different Circulating Trace Amine Profiles in De Novo and Treated Parkinson’s Disease Patients,”…

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), given at high or low frequency, effectively reduces motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients, but the effects of high-frequency rTMS are superior and last longer, a clinical trial shows. Investigators also found that the treatment is more effective in patients with akinetic-rigid Parkinson’s — those…

Cell replacement therapies in which dopamine-producing stem cells are transplanted into Parkinson’s disease patients could improve motor symptoms, reducing or eliminating the need for dopaminergic medicines, a study suggests. The study, “Repairing the Brain: Cell Replacement Using Stem Cell-Based Technologies,” was published in the Journal of …

A new way of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease based on manifestations that appear decades before motor symptoms — the current hallmarks for diagnosis — might allow early diagnosis and even prevention. The study, “From Prodromal to Overt Parkinson’s Disease: Towards a New Definition in the Year 2040,” was published in…